It's very early doors yet and initial talks regarding the Bathurst-Orange Inter-District Cricket Association's reformation ahead of season 2019-20 may have been promising, but there will be an onus on the players if the proposal is to move forward. The subject has often been broached since the BOIDC's split following the 2006-07 season but until now any potential re-merger has been knocked on the head by the Bathurst association, which went from strength-to-strength in club and representative terms following that break 12 years ago. But Mitchell Cricket Council president Mark Frecklington, also the Orange supremo, confirmed the two associations' current discussions are serious and are based on a mutual interest, thanks largely to both only having five teams in their respective top grades. MORE IN CRICKET: Maroon juggernaut rolls on as Cavaliers progress to sixth consecutive grand final That's why the ODCA has sent a survey out to its top grade and wider playing groups, to gauge their opinions as the main stakeholders before, potentially, progressing discussions further. "Whether we should ask the players was brought up at [Orange's] meeting on Monday night because the question did need to be asked whether we should entertain it if the players don't want it," Frecklington said. "But a lot of the talk I've heard over the last, well, 10 years really from the Orange players is that they wanted to return to BOIDC, certainly the players who played in that competition before the split. "So we'll wait for the results of the survey we've sent out and then, hopefully, sit down with the Bathurst association in early April once both grand finals are out of the way and go from there, see if we can move forward with it." Frecklington said there was actually a semi-serious discussion regarding the move leading into the 2018-19 summer, after it emerged both associations were likely to only have five-team top grades. However ORC's nomination in Bathurst put the kibosh on that and even though the Tigers then withdrew from the top grade, the time-frame was deemed to short to pull the combined competition together in time for the summer. "Honestly it probably would've been doable but it might have been a stretch, so we decided to put it on the shelf and look at it again for the 2019-20 season," Frecklington said. "We are only very early in discussions but it has been promising and there is interest there from both associations now. MORE IN CRICKET: Cavaliers break Centrals' hearts, Gladstone hold on and Grant's ton inspires Warriors "I've spoken with Campbell (Graham, Bathurst's president) a couple of times when we've run into each other this summer and I've spoken to a couple of the Bathurst clubs at [Royal Hotel Cup] games and that sort of thing, and they seem interested too so it is positive." Both the Orange and Bathurst top grade seasons are in their final stages, with their respective crescendos looming. In the Orange competition Cavaliers have won through to the decider while Orange City and CYMS face-off in this weekend's preliminary, grand final qualifying final. In the BDCA City Colts produced an inspired effort last weekend to score an unlikely outright victory and emulate Cavaliers' feat, with St Pat's Old Boys and Bathurst City left to fight it out for the other decider berth this weekend. Both grand finals will be played on March 30 and 31. Players interested in putting forward their opinions on the potential merge can take the ODCA's survey here, or find it on the association's Facebook page.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: Orange City's Shaun Grenfell played in the old BOIDC competition, which could be returning for season 2019-20. Photo: CARLA FREEDMAN

It's very early doors yet and initial talks regarding the Bathurst-Orange Inter-District Cricket Association's reformation ahead of season 2019-20 may have been promising, but there will be an onus on the players if the proposal is to move forward.

The subject has often been broached since the BOIDC's split following the 2006-07 season but until now any potential re-merger has been knocked on the head by the Bathurst association, which went from strength-to-strength in club and representative terms following that break 12 years ago.

But Mitchell Cricket Council president Mark Frecklington, also the Orange supremo, confirmed the two associations' current discussions are serious and are based on a mutual interest, thanks largely to both only having five teams in their respective top grades.

That's why the ODCA has sent a survey out to its top grade and wider playing groups, to gauge their opinions as the main stakeholders before, potentially, progressing discussions further.

"Whether we should ask the players was brought up at [Orange's] meeting on Monday night because the question did need to be asked whether we should entertain it if the players don't want it," Frecklington said.

"But a lot of the talk I've heard over the last, well, 10 years really from the Orange players is that they wanted to return to BOIDC, certainly the players who played in that competition before the split.

"So we'll wait for the results of the survey we've sent out and then, hopefully, sit down with the Bathurst association in early April once both grand finals are out of the way and go from there, see if we can move forward with it."

Frecklington said there was actually a semi-serious discussion regarding the move leading into the 2018-19 summer, after it emerged both associations were likely to only have five-team top grades.

However ORC's nomination in Bathurst put the kibosh on that and even though the Tigers then withdrew from the top grade, the time-frame was deemed to short to pull the combined competition together in time for the summer.

"Honestly it probably would've been doable but it might have been a stretch, so we decided to put it on the shelf and look at it again for the 2019-20 season," Frecklington said.

"We are only very early in discussions but it has been promising and there is interest there from both associations now.

"I've spoken with Campbell (Graham, Bathurst's president) a couple of times when we've run into each other this summer and I've spoken to a couple of the Bathurst clubs at [Royal Hotel Cup] games and that sort of thing, and they seem interested too so it is positive."

Both the Orange and Bathurst top grade seasons are in their final stages, with their respective crescendos looming.